Iran

My last stop in Iran was Esfahan, often referred to as ‘Esfahan nesf-e jahan’ (Esfahan is half the world), is the number one tourist destination in Iran thanks to its beautiful Persian gardens, huge bazaars, massive UNESCO-listed central square and numerous artisanal handicrafts. In Esfahan, you’re constantly surrounded by the arts — painting, pottery, calligraphy, … Continue reading »

Mud-brick houses and narrow, ancient streets make up the beautiful, sand-colored city that is Yazd. And within these winding lanes is a city rich in history, one that’s frequented by foreigners and locals alike. Yazd is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world and is home to the largest … Continue reading »

**We’re currently enjoying the end of 2012 with my family in Oklahoma before we move to San Diego in January. Here, I get back to my last few posts about my six-week backpacking trip through Iran.** One of my major goals in blogging about Iran is to show our readers the real Iran — the … Continue reading »

Wine, poetry, music, art galleries and parties — the makings of great cities like New York, Paris, Rome, Buenos Aires…and Shiraz, Iran? Yes, Iran’s most progressive, liberal city is host to all these things and more. (Some of the world’s earliest traces of vino were found in Iran, and Shiraz was the wine capital of … Continue reading »

Zanjan, known for its fantastic bazaar, knife-grinders and tea houses was the next stop on my journey through Iran. Zanjan was the first place I crashed at someone’s home in Iran — found through Couchsurfing — and got to sample some homecooking. From Zanjan, I visited nearby Oljeitu Mausoleum built for a sultan 600 years … Continue reading »

People told me not to bother seeing Rasht, the largest city in the Caspian Sea region. They said there weren’t many historical sights and beautiful landscapes within the city of Rasht. I was told to use the city as a staging point to visit Masuleh Village and the rest of the Caspian Sea region and … Continue reading »

Chay, or tea, is a religion in Iran. And if I had to pick a capital for tea in Iran it would definitely be the picturesque city of Lahijan in Gilan province, where the first successful attempt at cultivating tea took place in 1900 thanks to the Iranian consul to India sneaking in 4,000 tea … Continue reading »

As I got off the plane in Tehran, I realized my experience in Iran was going to be different this time. Unlike my previous three visits, this time I was on my own — no mother, uncle or aunt to step in and show me the way. This was exciting. Not only was I going … Continue reading »